LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap-^.ri. Copyright No. 

SlielL-v..5-4\W62> 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



WICKES' 

HAND BOOK 



Sharon, Mass. 

__THE^ miom^ 

HEALTHIEST ' TOWN»*-v-^ 



-IN 



NEW ENGLAND. 



BY W. B. WICKES. 



SHARON : 

PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE ADVOCATE. 
1896. 



SHARON 

REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS A&ENCY. 

(Established 1870.) 



Sold, Leased and Cared For. 

Farms, Houses, Woodlands, 
Business Chances and Unim- 
proved Property For Sale. 

Both Furnished and Unfur- 
nished. 

I do not speculate in Sharon property but 
sell and buy for others only. 

Justice of the Peace. 

l5oarc|iKg Place5 ^up^licc^. 

Connected by Long Distance 
Telephone. 



WICKBS' 



HAND BOOK 



-OF"- 



Sharon, Mass. 



-THE- 



HEALTHIEST TOWN 

IN 

NEW ENGLAND. 



BY W. B. WICKES. 



SHARON : 

PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE ADVOCATE. 
1896. 



INTRODUCTION. 

This book is published to make Sharon 
better known and appreciated. It gives 
information about the town and answers 
questions often asked by strangers. It is 
intended for gratuitous circulation and 
extra copies will be cheerfully furnishd 
physicians and others on application to 
me. To those seeking homes, Sharon 
offers attractions unexcelled by any other 
locality. 

Nature has given Sharon pure air, pure 
water and good drainage, which are the 
three great requisites to health and happi- 
ness. We have also fine walks and drives 
and beautiful scenery, and all these things 
can be enjoyed without sacrificing scarce- 
ly anything desirable that the residents of 
large cities have been accustomed to en- 
joy. Further information about the town 
will be cheerfully furnished on application 
by letter or otherwise. I have a long 
distance telephone in my residence and can 
be communicated with at all times irom 
any telephone. My carriage is at Sharon 
Station every pleasant day except Satur- 
day and Sunday, on the arrival of the 
train leaving Boston at 11.00 a. m. and 
the first afternoon train, and is at the 
service of those aesirous of seeing prop- 
erty that is for sale or to let. A carriage 
and driver will be furnished at reasonable 
rates to those seeking board. 

William B. Wickes. 



Since May, 1870, I have been engaged 
in selling and buying real estate in Shar- 
on and vicinity, on commission, and have 
sold many estates including a majority of 
the hotels, farms, houses and vacant 
lands in Sharon, that have changed own- 
ers during this time. I have been em- 
ployed to purchase land for the Nevyr York 
and New England Railroad, the Sharon 
Sanatarium, the Boston and Providence 
Railroad and other corporations and indi- 
viduals and have also been employed to 
secure options on, or bond several large 
tracts of lands. As I do not speculate in 
Sharon real estate myself but only sell 
and buy for others, I am always disin- 
terested in any advise or suggestions I 
give my patrons. Knowing the wonder- 
ful health giving properties of the air 
and water of Sharon and wishing to make 
its many attractions and advantages bet- 
ter known, I have published and distrib- 
uted 20,000 copies of books describing 
the town. 

In return I ask that those who wish to 
buy or sell property here and especially 
those who are drawn to Sharon by read- 
ing this book, will give me an opportunity 
to show them the attractions of the town 
and what I have to let or sell. 

W. B. WiCKES. 

Sharon, Mass., June, 1896. 



HOW TO REACH SHARON. 

Sharon is 17 miles from Boston and 25 
from Providence, on the main line of the 
Providence Division of the New YorlN, 
New Haven and Hartford railroad. There 
are twelve trains from Boston each week 
day and four on Sunday. Time of trains 
from Boston, twenty-seven to forty min- 
utes. 

This road is one of the oldest, best 
equipped and most carefully managed 
roads in the country. It crosses no draw- 
bridges. Is double-tracked with, heavy 
steel rails its entire length, and the trains 
are supplied with plenty of cars, so each 
passenger can have a seat. 

As most of the trains are express be- 
tween Boston and Sharon and consume 
but thirty minutes between the two places 
it will be seen that we are practically as 
near Boston as many places that join that 
city. 

The Boston station on Columbus Ave- 
nue aiid Park Square, at the foot of Bos- 
ton Common, is convenient and comfort- 
able, and architecturally, is the most 
beautiful in the United States. It is said 
by those who have travelled extensively 
to be unequalled in the world, when con- 
venience, looks and surroundings are tak- 
en into account. The station in Sharon 
is also well adapted to the wants of the 
travelling public and is supplied with the 
famous Sharon Spring water, and the 



yard, and grounds are finely graded and 
embellished with shrubs. 

Single fares from Sharon to Boston, 
forty cents; five tickets, one dollar and 
seventy-five cents or thirty-five cents 
each ; a three months' ticket, twenty dol- 
lars ; a two months' ticket, fifteen dollars ; 
one month, eight dollars. The net cost 
on a three months' ticket is only twelve 
cents a trip ; on a two months', fourteen 
cents, and on a one month ticket, fifteen 
cents. Single fares from Sharon to Prov- 
idence, sixty cents. One thousand mile 
tickets, good on any portion of the New 
York, New Haven and Hartford railroad, 
twenty dollars. .Passengers from New 
York can reach Sharon by the all-rail 
Shore Line or by the Providence steam- 
boat line. To drive from Boston to 
Sharon, take Brush Hill Turnpike and 
come via Canton. From Jamaica Plain 
come via Dedham and Norwood. From 
New Bedford, Taunton and Fall River, 
come via Easton Furnace or come by rail 
via Mansfield. 

Sharon has fine mail facilities, there 
being twelve mails to and from the post- 
oflice, each week day. The Western 
Union Telegraph Company has an office 
in the railroad station, and the wires of 
the New England Telephone Company 
enable us to talk with all the country. 
Communication can be had at all hours of 
the day or night, direct with my residence 
in Sharon from any telephone in Boston 
or any of tlie surrounding towns, and, in 



fact, by means of the long distance tele- 
phone, with almost any large city in the 
land. As the railroad time-table is liable 
to slight changes, it is omitted from this 
book, but a correct one will be furnished 
on application. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Sharon, Norfolk County, Massachu- 
setts, offers great inducements to the 
farmer, the poultry-keeper, the gardener, 
the manufacturer, and the invalid, as also 
to those seeking a quiet, pleasant home. 
Its attractions as a suburban residence, 
especially to those doing business in Bos- 
ton, Providence, and neighboring towns 
and cities, are unequalled by any other 
place within fifty miles of Boston. 

Sharon is the most elevated town in 
eastern Massachusetts and from its situ- 
ation and the nature of the soil, the nat- 
ural drainage is almost perfect. It is at 
the summit of the watershed of three 
rivers, and it is a singular fact, though a 
very large town in extent, yet not one 
drop of water runs into it from any other 
town, but water runs out of Sharon into 
each of the seven adjoining towns. Thus 
it will be seen that the air and the water 
of Sharon can never be polluted by the 
drainage of any other town. 

The town is from two hundred to five 
hundred and thirty feet above sea level. 
It is sheltered on the east by the Blue 
Hills of Milton. The soil is gravelly and 



8 



contains iron, and there is a great deal of 
pine wood growing in the town. All of 
these things, with the perfect drainage, 
tend to make the air of Sharon pure and 
healthy; but in addition to all this, some 
as yet undiscovered law, causes a large 
amount of ozone to always exist in the 
air here, making it at all times soft, balmy 
and extremely agreeable. Even the much 
and justly >abused east wind is deprived of 
its harshness here and is not disagreeable. 

In 1871 the Boston Traveller said : "In 
a "work on local causes of consumption by 
D.Bowditch, published in 1852, he speaks 
of Sharon as likely to be free from lung 
diseases. The correctness of his opinion 
is now shown by the official records, 
from which it appears that one-fourth of 
all who have died in the town in the last 
five years were over eighty years of age 
and more have died from old age than 
from consumption. 

*'In the first four months of this year, 
one-half the deaths in this town were 
from old age, and w^ere of persons over 
eighty-seven. It should be added that 
Sharon is a growing town,. .with twenty 
per cent, of Its inhabitants between five 
and twenty years of age." 

More than sixty years ago, when the 
Boston and Providence Railroad was be- 
ing built, Major McNeil, who w^as then 
the most eminent civil engineer in this 
country, spent some time in Sharon. He 
published an article calling attention to 
the remarkably pure air of Sharon, but 



at that time the influeDce of climate on 
health had not received attention and the 
matter was forgotten until twenty years 
later when the late A. D. Bacon, M. D., 
of Sharon, called the attention of other 
physicians to the subject. 

Dr. Bacon said, "I have never seen 
contagious and infectious disease become 
epidemic here. I have had cases of small 
pox, diphtheria and scarlet fever in their 
most virulent form among my patients, 
under circumstances where we should 
suppose they would spread fearfully, but 
those most exposed did not take the dis- 
ease." He also said : "All diseases seem 
to yield more readily to medical treatment 
here than in any other locality with which 
I am acquainted." 

Careful tests mads under the direction 
of a scientific man have shown more 
ozone in the air of Sharon than in any 
other place where tests have been made 
east of the Rocky Mountains. 

Ozone exists here in such quantities as 
to destroy all disease germs in the atmos- 
phere, so that no infectious or contagious 
disease ever has become epidemic here, 
and probably none ever will. The New 
York Medical Tribune says : "Air loaded 
with putrid or miasmatic exhalations is 
immediately purified by contact with 
ozonized air, and again a development of 
such exhalation cannot well take place in 
the presence of ozone. The action of 
ozone on such impure air is extremely 
powerful. According to Schoebein, an 



lu 



atmosphere containing only 1-3240000 of 
ozone is capable of destroying all noxious 
matter contained in an equal volume of 
miasmatic air. Where or whenever there 
is a deficiency of this quantity of ozone, 
there "will occur zymotic and contagious 
diseases, such as typhoid, scarlatina, 
measles, small pox, miasmatic fevers, 
yellow fever, etc., as well as all sorts of 
skin diseases." 

SHARON AS A HEALTH RESORT. 

HAY FEVER, BRIGHT'S DISEASE AND CON- 
SUMPTION CURED. 

The pure air of Sharon has already 
been spoken of. It is unlike that of any 
other place in the Eastern States and is 
of such a peculiar nature that invalids 
feel its beneficial eflfects at once and I 
earnestly advise the sick and convalescent 
to give it a trial. The best physicians in 
Boston and other cities and towns have 
found the air here beneficial to very 
young children and send the weakly babes 
of their wealthy patrons to Sharon to 
board, and the Commonwealth and the 
several charitable institutions that have 
the care of orphan babies, send many of 
them here to be cared for. The majority 
of them live and thrive notwithstanding 
that they are fed from a bottle and most 
of them have inherited diseases from 
their parents. 

Statistics will show that the chances 



11 



for a youDg infant to survive are much 
greater in Sharon than in almost any 
other place. Here comes in my theory 
that milk from Sharon cows is healthier 
than that from cows kept in less favored 
regions. Those who know how sensitive 
the nursing babe is to anything eaten by 
the woman that gives it sustenance, will 
believe that a cow breathing the ozone 
laden air of Sharon will give healthier 
milk than a cow kept where the air is not 
so pure. For years some of the best 
physicians in New England and New 
York have sent me some of their chronic 
and convalescent patients to get boarded 
and though this branch of my business is 
of no benefit to me, yet I take an interest 
in it and am happy to aid people to get 
places suited to their requirements and 
their purses. From my long and varied 
expeiience I am often able to make valu- 
able suggestions on the subject. 

Among those whom I have placed, a 
great nany have been benefited and some 
have been cured of what seemed to be in- 
curable disease. I have seen a young 
girl permanently cured of a severe case 
of Bright's disease and in several others 
that disease has been arrested. I think 
Sharon water is almost a specific for dis- 
eases of the kidneys. A young son of a 
prominent Boston official has just left 
Sharon apparently entirely cured of the 
worse case of St. Vitus' dance that ever 
came under my notice. Those sufiering 
from indigestion, insomnia or impure 



12 



blood, are usually soou relieved by a 
residence in Sharon. There have been 
some wonderful cures here of rose cold 
and half fever. 

For all diseases of the lungs and respi- 
tory organs, including catarrh and bron- 
chitis, the air of this town seems to be 
more helpful than that ol any other place 
east of tne Rocky Mountains, and taking 
everything into consideration I think the 
patient is as likely to be benefited here as 
in any place in the West, Southwest or 
South. We have people now living in 
Sharon and enjoying perfect health that 
came here apparently in the last stages of 
consumption. Those who do not recover 
breathe easier and suffer less than they 
would in other places. 

I can give t e addresses of doctors of 
all schools in Boston, New York, New- 
port, Fall River, New Bedford and many 
other places, who have had patients sick 
with most of the diseases that flesh is heir 
to, who have derived benefit from a resi- 
dence here, but reference to them is hard- 
ly necessary, since the best of the medi- 
cal profession throughout the country are 
entliusiastic in their praises of Sharon 
air. But many times they find it hard to 
convince their patients that so simple and 
easy a change as a journey to Sharon will 
eflect their cu»'e. 

Said one of Boston's best physicians 
not long ago : "If I could make my 
wealthy patients believe in Sharon as I 
do, I could fill every house in your little 



13 



town, but they thiuk they ought to go 
away off somewhere." Again we say to 
all invalids, give Sharon air a trial. It 
won't cost you much, and may and prob- 
ably will benefit you as it has hundreds 
of others. 

Owners of fancy animals have found 
that the air of Sharon is as beneficial to 
beast^as to man, and send their valuable 
dogs and horses here to board. In 1872 
when almost every horse throughout the 
land was sick with epizootic, our horses 
in Sharon escaped, though used every 
day, thus showing that the ozone in the 
air here does kill disease germs. In one 
case at that time, a horse driven into 
town by a pedler, died of the disease, 
while the expressman's horse in the next 
stall did not take it, though no special 
precautions were used to prevent it. 

SHARON SANATARIUM. 

The Sharon Sanatarium for the treat- 
ment of incipient pulmonary troubles, is 
finely located, about one mile west of the 
village, on a farm that I selected for it. 
It is the first sanatarium of the kind in 
New England though there are several 
successful ones in Europe. It was locat- 
ed in Sharon on account of the well 
known curative effects of Sharon air and 
the pure water here. The building was 
erected under the direct supervision of an 
eminent specialist who had visited and 
examined all the best sanatariumsin the 



14 



world. It coutains every convenieuce 
known to medical science. 

It was opened to patients in February, 
1891, and in the short time it has been in 
operation its success has fully justified 
the hopes of its founders Although a 
small amount of weekly board is charged, 
it is virtually a charitable institution and 
I commend it to those who are disposed 
to help a worthy charity. It is right here 
in our own town and we can all see that 
the money is well spent. The following 
form of bequest may be used in making 
a will : 

"I give and bequeath unto the Sharon 
Sanatarium, for Pulmonary Diseases, in 
Sharon, Massachusetts, its successors and 
assigns, tlie sum of dollars." 

The demands of patients far exceeds 
the capacity of the institution and money 
is needed to build more extensive build- 
ings. The public are invited to inspect 
the institution, especially medical men 
and women. Visiting days are Tuesdays, 
Thursdays and Saturdays. Dr. Vincent 
Y. Bowditch, 506 Beacon St., Boston, is 
Medical Director. Mr. N. H. Stone, 614 
Sears Building, Boston, is treasurer of 
the corporation and all gifts of money 
may be sent to him. Applications for 
admissions should be made to "Superin- 
tendent of Sanatarium, Sharon, Mass." 

WATER. 

The town has an abundant supply of 



15 



pure water taken from an immense spring 
near the head waters of the Neponset and 
Taunton rivers. The waters of this and 
neighboring springs have long been cele- 
brated. Tradition tells us that the Indians 
and early settlers believed its use would 
cure dispepsia and jaundice and dissolve 
gall and bladder stones, and even in our 
own day, intelligent people ascribe won- 
derful cures of different diseases to its 
use. 

Chemical analysis, however, shows no 
especial medicinal qualities, but a remark- 
able absence of all deleterious qualities, 
and as far as I am able to discover, it is 
simply very pure water which remains 
ever the same summer and winter. Anoth- 
er remarkable thing about it is that it re- 
tains its purity and freshness a long time 
if kept in glass. The spring flows about 
830,000 gallons a day. From its great 
elevation there is no danger of its ever 
being contaminated. The water is raised 
by steam power to a standpipe, from 
which it is distributed under a sufficient 
head to enter the highest rooms in the 
village and to extinguish fires, the town 
being supplied with three well-equipped 
and well-manned hose companies and a 
hook and ladder company. 

TAXES AND TOWN AFFAIRS. 

Those who would reside where the pub- 
lic affairs are carefully managed and the 
public money judiciously spent, and would 
dodge those towns and cities where reck- 



16 



lessness and extravagance prevail, will 
find in Sharon a desirable home. 

The voters of Sharon are liberal in 
making appropriations for all objects 
supported by town taxes, but so carefully 
and judiciously is the money expended 
that the tax is kept low, on a low valua- 
tion. This town was the first one in the 
State to supply free text-books to schol- 
ars. It supports a High School though 
not required by law to do so, and the 
schools are all kept forty weeks in a 
year. The schools are partly supported 
by the income of an invested fund, which 
was given for that purpose many years 
ago. The town debt is small and being 
rapidly diminished. There is a very good 
Town Hall, good fire apparatus well 
housed, and the town's poor are well 
cared for on a large farm. The appro- 
priations recommended by the different 
boards of town officers are generally 
voted without a dissenting voice. Yet 
with all this liberality on the part of the 
town, the tax rate averages only ten dol- 
lars on one thousand dollars, and that, 
as has been said, on a low valuation. 

There is a reasonable hope that even 
this low tax rate will soon be consider- 
able reduced. The valuation of the town 
is but little more than one million of dol- 
lars. Should few rich people gain a 
residence here, as they talk of doing, the 
valuation of Sharon would be more than 
doubled and the tax rate be reduced in 
the same proportion. 



Tlie following extract from the Sharon 
AchHibate "will serve to show what nianuer 
of a town Sharon is : 

"Thistown has neither the manufac- 
turing- nor the wealth of most of the ad- 
joining towns, but in the moral and so- 
cial standing of its people and its benevo- 
lence and public spirit, it will compare 
favorably with other towns. When a law 
was passed permitting towns to furnish 
text-books free to schools, it was just like 
Sharon to be the first town in the State 
to adopt the plan. It was just like Shar- 
on to support a High School, though not 
compelled by law to do so. For thirty 
years it has been just like Sharon to vote 
all the money the school committee asked 
for, and these votes are generously passed 
unanimously. In other towns and cities 
appropriations are usually higgled over 
and cut down. For thirty years it has 
been just like Sharon to vote without 
question almost every cent of money that 
has been asked for, for every reasonable 
purpose, and it has been just like Sharon 
to spend that money so judiciously that 
we take good care of our poor, have good 
roads and low taxes. It is just like Shar- 
on to have a fine Town Hall at a rao der- 
ate cost ; a good Public Library : to have 
its lake well stocked with fish ; to have 
the telephone and telegraph, and to have 
railroad and mail accommodations unsur- 
passed by any town of its size within a 
like distance of Boston. More than fifty 
years ago, a few citizens of Sharon sup- 



18 



plied themselves with pure wafer from 
Sharou Springs, by forcing it up to an 
elevation of one hundred feet, which was 
something they had never seen accom- 
plished, and wlilch wise men told them 
could never be done, This v,'as just like 
Sharon, and unlike any other town in the 
vicinity; and now when the old works 
are inadequate, it is just like Sharon to 
vote unanimously a liberal sum to supply 
the whole village with pure water. We 
might mention many other commendable 
things in w^hich Sharon is unlike other 
towns, if our space would permit." 

STORES AND MARKETS. 

Sharon being a farming town with milk 
farms, market gardens, and poultry yards, 
fresh and nice vegetables, poultry, milk 
and eggs are always to be had. Physi- 
cians say that milk from cows kept in 
Sharon is healthier than that from cows 
kept in less healthy towns. The stores 
and markets of Sharon supply meats, 
groceries and fruits, equal in quality to 
the best sold in Boston, and tlie vast 
woodlands of Sharon supply an abun- 
dance of fuel to those who would enjoy 
healthy luxury of an open wood fire. 

SOCIETY. 

Socially, Sharon is like most well or- 
dered New England villages, much en- 
livened of late, however, by the presence 
of families and individuals of culture who 



19 



have come from other places to find pleas- 
ant, healthy homes here. There is a 
prosperous lodge of the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen. The Masons, Odd 
Fellows and Grand Army members meet 
•vvith lodges in Canton which is only three 
miles away. The Sharon members of the 
Grand Army maintain an outpost and 
reading room. There are several literary 
clubs and societies which euliveu the 
winter evenings for those socially in- 
clined. Five churches furnish religious 
instruction. There is a good Public 
Library, free to all. The Town Hall is 
used for lectures, concerts and enteriain- 
ments and assemblies and a late train 
from Boston and Providence every night, 
summer and winter, gives an opportunity 
to attend lectures, concerts and theatres 
in either city. The town always votes no 
license, and no rum-shops or disreputable 
houses are allowed. 

New comers to the town are sure of a 
cordial welcome from those already here. 
It is characteristic of Sharon people to 
like to see their neighbors have a pleas- 
ant and enjoyable time. 

SCENERY, WALKS AND DRIVES. 

The scenery, walks and drives of Shar- 
on are unsurpassed, and I think unequaled 
in any other town in eastern Massacliu- 
setts. They cannot be adequately de- 
scribed, but must be seen to be appreciat- 
ed. Usually where the scenery is wild 



20 



the roads are poor, if not absolutely un- 
safe. It is not so here. The roads are 
good in all parts of the town. In the 
following drives you are supposed to 
start from the postoflice : ' 'Every one will 
wish to drive around Massapoag pond; 
from the postoffice and back it is six 
miles. Another drive you must take to 
see Sharon is to Moose Hill. The near- 
est town road is past the depot. The 
large new house on your right as you 
ascend the first hill beyond the station, 
is the "Ella Reed Home," built by Miss 
C. Bates of Boston, as a home for desti- 
tute children. It is occupied by Miss 
Bates as a residence for herself and a 
limited number of children. At her de- 
cease she proposes to leave it in the care 
of Trinity (Church in Boston, as a chil- 
dren's home. On the right as you go up 
the next hill is the Sharon Sanatariura. 
The next house on the right was a short 
time ago, occupied by two brothers, hon- 
est Scotchmen, and, although own broth- 
ers, they each was named "John Smith." 
To return from the hill by easier grades 
come down Moose Hill St. to Main St. 
From the summit of this hill may be seen 
the residences of one-quarter of all the 
inhabitants of Massachusetts. The fol- 
lowing interesting sketch of what may 
be seen from Moose Hill, was prepared 
for me by E. G. Chamberlain, Esq., of 
Auburndale, Mass., who is a member of 
the Appalachian Club : 

"Moose Hill is 530 feet above sea level. 



21 



The tower affords an additional elevation 
of twenty feet. The tower is square, 
the siders facing precisely to the four 
cardinal points. Let us take the views 
in order from left to right. All eleva- 
tions are reckoned from the sea level and 
all bearings from the true meridian. 

Due north is West Dedham Unitarian 
Church, six miles distant, quite conspicu- 
ous on a hill. A little to the right is Ar- 
lington Heights, twenty miles, and under 
it the Theological Seminary, on Institu 
tion Hill in Newton. More to the right 
is Norwood village, five miles, and Ded- 
ham with its courthouse dome nine miles. 
About N. N. E. is Boston, the State 
House dome bearing N. 25 degrees 27 E. 
eighteen miles. Just at its left is the 
white tower of Roxbury standpipe, and 
between and beyond them is Bunker Hill 
Monument. A trifle to the right is the 
large village of Hyde Park, ten miles. 
N. E. is the Blue Hill range. Great Blue 
at the left being eight miles distant and 
635 feet high. A little left of it we may 
get a glimpse of tide water near Win- 
thrope, while nearer we look down on the 
meadows of the Neponset river. Next 
to Great Blue is Hancock Hill, then Hill- 
side Street Gap, Bugbee Hill, and the 
peak of Chickataubut, 518 feet high, 
under whose left flank is Bear Hill, hardly 
separable. In line with Chickataubut is 
Canton Corner Church, five and one half 
miles. A little to the right is Canton vil- 
lage, four miles, and nearly over its left 



22 



hand steeple is Strawberry Hill, tweuty- 
one miles, crowned by a standpipe. To 
the left of this and nearer, is the tower 
on Penn's Hill (in Braintree?). To the 
right of the right hand of Canton steeple 
is the triple-towered Atlantic House at 
Nantasket, twenty-one miles. Between 
Strawberry Hill and Atlantic House may 
be seen Massachusetts Bay, the sea 
horizon line being thirty and one-half 
miles listant. A little to the right, nine 
miles off, are the three tall spires of 
Kandolph, about three degrees apart, the 
left hand one bearing E. N. E. Due E. 
is Sharon, two miles, and over it the 
large village of Stoughtou, six miles. 
Considerable to the right, ten miles off, 
is Brockton. Just right of its tallest 
spire is the Standish Monument on Cap- 
tain's Hill, in Duxbury, tw^enty-eight and 
one-half miles. The large pond two 
miles S. E. is Massapoag. Nearly over 
Its left end is East Bridgewater, fifteen 
miles, and over its right end Middleboro, 
twenty-two miles. Due S. (S. OS 20 W.) 
is Great Meadow Hill in Rehoboth, 
seventeen miles, crowned by a group of 
trees. Nearly under its right base is 
Mansfield, seven miles. About S. S. W. 
are the two spires of Foxboro, four and 
one-half. 

Half way between Great Meadow and 
Foxboro, appears a very small sharp 
peak. Oak Hill in Attleboro, fifteen miles 
and nearer, at its right, the village of 
East Attleboro. Turning nearly to W. 



23 



S. W., we see, three miles off, South AVal- 
polewi^h its short, "white steeple. Near- 
ly over its left is the summit of Woon- 
socket Hill, in Rhode Island, tweniy 
miles. To the right of W. S. W. is the 
tall cupola of Dean Academy in Franklin, 
•with steeples at its right. 

Turning nearly to W. N. W. we see 
the low-pointed ridge, Asnybumskit Hill, 
in Paxton, 1,407 feet, thirty-seven miles 
and more toward N. W., the very conspic- 
uous Wachuset Mountain in Princetown, 
of th^ same range, 2,018 feet, forty-three 
miles, is seen over Walpole village, tM'O 
and one-half miles off. Midway between 
Asnybumskit and Wachuset is seen Rice 
Hill in Rutland forty-one miles, a little 
left of which are three steeples, nearly 
in line, and one above the other, viz : 
Hopkinton, seventeen miles, Shrewsbury, 
twenty-eight miles, and Rutland, forty- 
two miles. Somewhat to the right of 
Wachuset, is the low ridge of Mouoos- 
nook Hill in Leominster, forty-one miles, 
seen over Medfield village, six and one- 
half miles off. Still to the right Grand 
Monadnock Mountain in Jaffrey, N. H., 
sixty-eight miles, 3,170 feet high, a sharp 
peak faliiug off very gradually to the 
right. Between Monoosnook and Mo- 
nadnock, justN. W., is Sherborn Church, 
eleven miles. Against the right tlauk of 
Monadnock is the nob of Watatick Moun- 
tain, in Ashburnham, Mass., 1,847 feet, 
fifty-two miles, a peak of the Wachusett 
range. This range we follow to the 



24 



right of N. H. by Mt. Kidder in New Ip- 
swicli, Spofibrd and Temple Monntaius 
in Temple, and the noticeable twin sum- 
mits of Pack Mouadnoci^, near Peter- 
boro. The latter are about 2,280 feet 
high and sixty-two miles distant. Be- 
tween Watatick and Kidder, the near 
round hill, nineteen miles off", in Nobcott, 
in Framingham, 602 feet. 

To the right of Pack Monadnock, eight 
miles off", is a group of hills in Dover, 
through a gap in which we get a glimpse 
of Lyudeboro Pinnacle, sixty-two miles 
off". Turning far towards the north we 
see Prospect Hill, in Waltham, eighteen 
miles, with Little Prospect on its- left 
flank, and further left the village of Lin- 
coln, twenty-one miles. I have identified 
some prominent buildings in about fifty 
villages, some of them requiring the tele- 
scope. Many other villages have been ob- 
served but not yet fully identified. The 
spire at the right of Foxboro may be 
proved to be in Pawtucket, R. I. The 
calculated bearing of Brown University, 
at Providence, twenty-two and one-half 
miles places it midway between the Fox- 
boro steeples, but I have never been fav- 
ored with a view of it. It is probably 
not visible." 

The air on the nill is very invigorating, 
and persons with weak lungs enjoy it 
much. Invalids, by carrying a lunch and 
spending some hours on the hill, are of- 
ten benefitted. I regret that there is no 
boarding place there. Perhaps some 



25 



time there will be a sanitarium or hotel 
on the hill. It would be well patronized. 

On your return, on Moose Hill Street, 
you will pass the barn of Henry L. de 
Bussigny, where are kept in summer, 
some of the finest saddle horses in the 
country. His stable is worthy of a visit 
from all lovers of fine bred horses. 

The poultry house that you pass on re- 
turning is over eight hundred feet long, 
and has a wing, not in sight of the road, 
four hundred and eighty feet long. It 
was intended for ten thousand fowl. 

For a short drive take Main Street, 
west, turn the first left through "Gun- 
house Lane," then next left home In 
Gunhouse Lane formerly stood the gun- 
house in which was stored the cannon to 
protect the nhabitants from their ene- 
mies. Elm Lawn, near the corner of the 
lane, was formerly the Kandall homestead 
and here died, not many years ago, "Bos- 
ton Randall," a very aged negro, and 
probably the last slave owned in Massa- 
chusetts. He was brought from Africa, 
and kept as a body servant until he finally 
became a family pet. He refused his 
freedom and was kindly cared for by the 
family while he lived. He was buried, 
as was his master's family, in the Chest- 
nut Tree Cemetery. 

Another short drive is past the Sharon 
Sanitarium to the town farm. 

For a romantic drive take Main Street, 
and Walpole Street to Mrs. Benjamin 
Ehoades' house, turn sharp to the left 



26 



and follow County Street until it comes 
to Main Street near Paradise Cranberrry 
meadow. County Street is full of sharp 
pitches and not much travelled, but it is 
decidedly wild and has a history. It is 
one of the oldest roads in Massachusetts, 
having been called "the path to Bristol." 
It was over this road that Madame Knight 
rode on the first night of her famous 
journey to New York, and the "Wayman's 
Ordinary,'" where she spent the first night 
stood near where the cranberry store- 
house now stands. Here Ebonezer Bil- 
lings is supposed to have built his tavern 
about 1G68, many years before there was 
a white person in what is now Canton. 

For a variety of ferns drive through 
the Pigeon Swamp road. Maiden hair 
ferns grow here. You will have a ro- 
mantic drive.to go past Leonard's mill, 
turning sharp to the left at the cemetery, 
and taking the first right and then the next 
right. Near the house of W. H. Agry, 
on this road, you get a splendid view and 
an assortment of ferns. 

Drive to Wolomolopoag pond and turn 
to the left and the next left home. If you 
care for places of historic interest, when 
on this drive take the right at Mrs. T. E. 
Clark's and go to Clapp's sawmill. Here 
was the foundry where under Gen. Grid- 
ley, was cast the first cannon ever made 
in the country. 

Not far from Mrs. Clark's, King Philip 
and his warriors camped the night they 
burned Medfield, in 1676. They passed 



27 



the "Waymen's Ordinary" jnst at dusk, 
but spared it because one of the chiefs 
said, "Billings is Indians' friend." 

It is six miles to Foxboro and six to 
South Walpole. On the South Walpole 
road Mr. Lyman Plympton has a cultivat- 
ed cranberry bog and a cultivated ■white 
pine grove, both equal, if not superior to 
any others in the state. To Walpole it is 
five miles, six to Norwood, three to Can- 
ton. At Canton, go and see the large 
solid stone viadcut, by which the railroad 
crosses the highway and Neponset river. 
It used to be considered one of the won- 
ders of the age. To Dedhara it is ten 
miles. 

To Stoughton it is six miles and to 
North Easton it is seven. At the latter, 
the Unitarian Church, and other public 
buildings and the magnificent grounds of 
the late F. L. Ames, which are open to 
the public, are worthy of a visit. To 
Easton Furnace, seven miles, is a pleas- 
ant drive. To East Foxboro is six miles. 
Much of the way this road runs beside 
the railroad track. 

Lovers of wild flowers and ferns will 
find a great variety here. Those who de- 
light to see farming operations will be in- 
terested in the market gardens and green- 
houses on Sharon plain, and the cran- 
berry meadows further west. The woods 
and ponds of Sharon furnish game for 
the hunter, and the numerous ponds and 
brocks furnish fish for the angler, and 
the ponds also furnish ample opportuni- 



28 



ties for boating and bathing. Besides 
numerous mill ponds in Sharon, there are 
two beautiful sheets of water called Wol- 
omolopoag and Massapoag. Though only 
a mils apart they are at the head of dif- 
ferent rivers ; one flows to the west and 
the other to the east. Massapoag con- 
tains four hundred and sixty acres of 
water and is three hundred feet above 
sea level. There is a drive completely 
around it. Formerly the water flowed 
from this pond into both the Taunton 
and the Neponset rivers. The early set- 
tlers used to liken it to a leaky barrel, 
from which the water flowed in all direc- 
tions. 

Being at the summit of both rivers, it 
was the boundary between the lands of 
the Narragansett and Massachusett In- 
dians, while Wolomolopoag flowed into 
the Taunton and belongea exclusively to 
King Philip's tribe. The name Wolomolo- 
poag is Indian, and signifies pleasant 
water or sweet water and it was most 
truthfully named, being a beautiful sheet 
of water. 

FARMS AND LAND FOR SALE. 

There are several farms wathin from 
ten to thirty minutes' drive of the two 
depots in Sharon, that can be bought very 
low and some of them on easy terms. 
A man who is willing to work caji make 
a good living on one of these farms and 
is sure to get a rise on his land. There 



29 



is not nor never has been a boom in Shar- 
on real estate, neither has it ever been 
depressed, but since the introduction of 
water in 1885, there has been considera- 
ble ffrovt'th in the village and a marked 
rise in the value of eligible house lots. 
In ten years land values in the best local- 
ities have doubled twice and I think this 
growth and rise in values are likely to 
continue as land is still cheap here com- 
pared to what it sells for in less favored 
localities. Good house lots within ten 
minutes' walk of the station, churches, 
stores and post office, sell at from $400 
to $5,000 an acre or from 1 to 10 cents a 
foot, according to location and the con- 
dition of the land. In large quantities 
and in some localities a reduction is made 
from these prices. Most people buy lots 
of from one-quarter to one-half an acre. 
This gives ample room for a garden and 
poultry yard. Near the railroad on the 
west side of the track are some large 
tracts of unimproved lands and wood- 
lands that can be bought cheap and are 
worth the attention of capitalists and 
builders as they can be cut up at a profit. 
Northwest of Sharon Station and only 
five minutes' walk from it is a tract of 
land (Hillside Terrace) that has been 
opened up by a Boston gentleman. These 
lots have a southern slope, a fine view, 
perfect drainage, and will be sold only to 
desireable parties. 



30 



HOUSES FOR SALE AND TO LET. 

There are houses for sale in and near 
the villasje with from 10,000 feet to 23 
acres of laud and at prices from $700 to 
$10,000. Some of these have all modern 
conveniences and nearly all of them are 
supplied with Sharon spring water. 
There are usually furnished houses to let, 
some with ample grounds and stables, 
and a few unfurnished ones, but it is 
only fair to say that the supply of places 
to let is usually far short of the demand 
and rents in Sharon are not so low as in 
some other localities. It is well there- 
fore, if you wish to hire a house, to in- 
quire early in the season. This book is 
not intended as a catalogue of the prop- 
erty that is for sale or to let in Sharon 
and because you don't see advertised in it 
such a place as you wish, it doesn't fol- 
low that there is no such place here. 

Before you locate anywhere, write me 
and carefully describe what you wish, or 
better still, come and see me and let me 
show you the town. You will find it is 
all and more than this book claims it is, 
and perhaps you will find here just what 
you wish. You will find my carriage at 
Sharon Station on the arrival of the 10.18 
A. M. and first P. M. train from Boston 
every pleasant day except Saturdays and 
Sundays. If you wish to come by any 
other train, please notify me by telegraph 
telephone or letter. You can at all times 
telephone directly to my house. 



31 



BUSINESS CHANCES. 

There are frequent inquiries from peo- 
ple who would like to reside in Sharon, 
and wish some remunerative business. 
There are calls for men skilled in the 
building trades and someone to sell build- 
ing material. Boarding house and hotel 
keepers can always find a good opening 
here, as the calls for accommodations al- 
ways far exceeds the supply. I have a 
good hotel to sell or let. There is an ur- 
gent call for a first-elass hygienic hotel 
or sanitarium in Sharon, such as they 
have in California, where the tired and 
convalescent and weary can go for rest 
and recuperation. One such house might 
be made very profitable. There is an un- 
limited number of people who are out of 
health and are able and willing to pay 
large prices if they could find accommo- 
dations in a well conducted sanatarium 
where they could have Sharon air and 
water. There is a fine opening for a 
capitalist or a builder to erect houses 
here to sell or to let. 

Poultry and milk farming and market 
gardening is unusually profitable in Shar- 
on, as our numerous cottagers furnish a 
market at the highest retail prices and 
the manufacturing cities and towns in 
the vicinity take all the surplus at renum- 
erative prices. 1 have farms for sale of 
all sizes up to 300 acres and all prices up 
to $15,000. I have two or three extra 
nice horse and stock farms to sell to 
monied men. 



32 



HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES. 

The Massapoag Lake House is finely 
situated on the south side of the pond 
near a pine grove. It has been open 
twenty-five years and has been several 
times enlarged and now contains one 
hundred rooms, new bowling alleys, new 
dirt tennis courts and new billiard and 
pool tables have been added this year. 
The grounds are large and there is al- 
ways everything here that is desirable 
to make summer life pleasant. 

The Hotel Sharon is within easy walk- 
ing distance of the station and is a well 
kept house, open the year round for 
permanent and transient guests. 

At Crescent Ridge farm at East Sharon 
some twenty boarders can be accommo- 
dated. It is a very pleasant place. 

Stone Holm occupies one of the finest 
and most expensive estates in the town 
and no expense is spared to make the 
house service and table equal to the best. 
It is open through the year and is well 
patronized in the winter. 

The Ingleside is a new house, pleasant- 
ly situated on the highest land in the vil- 
lage. It can accommodate about twelve. 

There are several boarding houses 
where from two to twelve boarders are 
taken at from six to twelve dollars a 
week. 

I i'- md to keep thoroughly posted in 
rer o those who have vacant rooms, 
the '.ation, prices, etc., and am al- 



33 



ways happy to give informatiou and 
raa'ke suggestions to those seeking board 
and am often enabled to save them time, 
trouble and money. If those seeking 
board, will write enclosing a stamp, I 
will cheerfully furnish them any desired 
information. Please state what you re- 
quire, how many rooms, whether there 
are children, and what prices you expect 
to pay. "Reasonable prices," if from a 
stranger, conveys no information to me, 
since thirty dollars a week from some of 
my patrons would be reasonable, and 
others find it hard to pay five dollars. 
Generally board cannot be obtained for 
less than seven dollars a week. This 
branch of my business is of no pecuniary 
profit to me, but it is my desire and for 
my interest to see people located in Shar- 
on to their own satisfaction. Good 
carriages with careful drivers who know 
the boarding places, will be furnished on 
application to me at not to exceed one 
dollar an hour. Come by the 10.18 A. M. 
or the first P. M. train ; if coming on any 
other train, give previous notice by mail, 
telegraph or telephone, and my carriage 
will be at the station. No charge for in- 
formation or suggestion, but those who 
find it necessary to employ a carriage will 
confer favor on me and in some measure 
recompense me for my trouble, by pat- 
ronizing my team. 

W. B. WiCKES, Sharon, Mass. 



Telephone No. 27-3, Canton. 



VILLAGE PROPERTY. 



r^N Main St. is a nearly new house and 12,000 feet 
^^ of land. The house has hot water heat. Thei"e 
are eight square rooms. Adjoining this estate is a 
store and 12,000 feet of land. The two estates be- 
long to the same party and business having called 
iim away he is anxious to dispose of them. They 
will be sold separately or together. The store is a 
iine stand for any kind of trade. This is a good op- 
portunity for some enterprizing man to go into busi- 
ness in a growing town. 

"VTEAR the Town Hall is a well rented 10-room 
•^^ house. Has bath and furnace and 1-4 acre of 
land. This would make a nice permanent residence. 
Will be sold on very easy terras. 



VERY centrally located is a 10-room house and 
25.000 feet of land. This is a well built and 
well planned house, with all modern improvements. 
Would make a nice private residence or a small 
boarding house. The owner is absent from the 
State and is anxious to sell. 



r\N Pleasant St., the Mitchell estate has 100,000 
^-^ feet of land, a large old house and stable. There 
is a nice orchard and some shade trees. The view 
is one of the finest in town and the place is central, 
and yet retired and only a short distance from the 
station, the post office, stores and churches. Price 
$6,000. This is one of the best bargains offered in 
Sharon. 



ON Maple Ave. is a nearly new, well built house, 
6 rooms and bath. This is a very neat, inex- 
pensive place and will be sold with one, two or 
three lots of land. It sets high and is a desirable 
place. Will be sold on very reasonable terms. In- 
quire of the owner, Jacob Bbkg, 159 High St., Bos- 
ton, or W. B. Wickes, Sharon. 



35 



ON the outskirts of the village on the borders of 
the lake is one of the prettiest situated farms in 
the country. There are 14 acres of land, an 8-room 
house with all modern conveniences and a large 
barn; plenty of shade and young fruit trees. This 
place has a large frontage on Massapoag and is 
capable of being cut up to great advantage. 



ON easy terms I v^ill sell a nearly new modern 
house with every improvement including electric 
bells and 10,010 feet of land. There are wide 
piazzas and it is a pretty house. 



"VTEAR the above is a larger house owned by the 
-'-^ same man. It is also a very pretty and well 
planned house. The owner, Mr. James Woodlock, 
is an enterprising carpenter and has several houses 
to sell or let. Come and see him and if he has not 
got what you want he will build one to suit you. 
Address, James Woodlock, Sharon, or W. B. 

"WiCKES. 



A MODERN 9-room house, all conveniences, with 
•^^ stable, central, yet retired, not three minutes 
from the Li >rary, will be sold low and on easy 
terms. The same owner has a house, stable, hen 
house and garden just out of the village but on Main 
St. He has not the capital to carry them and will 
sell either at a bargain. One of them would be let 
if desired. 



"VTEAR the Library, yet retired is a very pretty 
-»-^ 9-room house and 22,000 feet of land. It has all 
modern improvements and a splendid view. This 
place will be sold on very easy terms on application 
to the owner, F. E. BuRBANK, 987 *Vashingtou St., 
Boston, or to W. B. TVickes, Sharon. 



rpHERE is a house of 9 rooms, a good stable and a 
-*- fine garden, in the village. Will be sold on 
favorable terms. 



rpHE estate of the late Dr. Webber is one of the 
■*- finest in Sharon. Thei'e is a large house ■with 
ample grounds, wide verandas, wide halls, open 
fires, set tubs and everything usually found in a 
gentleman's house. There are two other buildings 
on the estate, one of which would make a fine stable. 
Taking into consideration the view and the location, 
this estate is unsurpassed for a gentleman's resi- 
dence by any place in our village. Price $9,000. 



ON Cottage St. is a nearly new cottage with all 
conveniences. It is a pretty place. The owner 
took it for debt and as he lives out of town he wants 
to unload it. Inquire of the owuer, E. P. Clapp, 
Stoughton, or "VV. B. Wickes, Sharon. 



TN the village is a cottage house and garden be- 
-*- longing to an old man who would like to sell. 
The garden contains most all kinds of fruit. 



rpHE "Winship estate," Pond St., with 45,000 feet 
-*- of land and a small stable, plenty of fruit and 
shade trees There are two houses, one of them 
cost $10,000 to build. It has 15 rooms and all con- 
veniences, including open fires. The other house is 
nearly new, has 8 rooms, open fire and bath. These 
will be sold so as to make a good investment and on 
any terms. Apply to A. M. Shurtleff, 18 Tre- 
mont St., Boston, or W. B. Wickes, Sharon. 



TO LET FURNISHED. 



rpHERE are about 20 large and small furnished 
-*- houses in my hands to let. Some of them have 
all modern improvements and many of them have 
not. Several have stables if desired. Some a"e 
only to be had during the school vacations and oth- 
ers can be had for a year or more. 



37 



A 10 room house with furrace and bath, stable 
"^^ and 125,000 feet of land. There is a tenuia 
court, fine shade and much ihat is attractive. This 
will be let for one or more years. 

A 9-room house and 50,000 feet of laud. This is 
■"- right in the heart of the village; will be let by 
the year. A stable with it if desired. 

A N elegant house and garden, stable, and every- 
•*^ thing usually found on a lady's summer place. 
The garden is allp'anted. This is an almost perfect 
place, will be rented for the season or the year. It 
is handy to everything. 

rpWO cottages for light housekeeping, 4 rooms 
-^ each, open fire places, five minutes' walk from 
Sharon Heights Station, will be let for $100 each for 
the season. Near these is a 3-room cottage that 
will be let for the same price. 

A VERY nice furnished house, all conveniences, 
■^^ six rooms will be let as long as wanted. 

A 9-room house in the village, a good country 
-"- home, no bath, will be let while tlie family are 
at the seashore. 



A N 8 room countrj^ cottage, piazza and lots of 
■^^ trees, will be let for two months. 

TN the village is a 6- room cottage, will be rented 
-*- while the family go "down east." There is 
plenty of grass and shade. 

"|V TONTFERM is finely located on a hill in a grove. 
■^•'- The house commands a tine view. It has all 
modern improvements and is a very pretty place. 
This house was built by W. H. Agry, 158 Washing- 
ton St., Boston, for his own use, but I have since 
sold him a large farm and he wishes to let this fur- 
nished or sell it. Will sell on easy terms. Inquire 
of Mr. Agrt, or W. B. VVickes. 



38 

„ etor;, , , 

den, will be let fu nished or sold. 



TN the village is a two story honee, stable acd gar- 



A 12-room house will be let fully furnished . 
■*^ Cxarden all planted. Stable if desired. 

A COTTAGE on Pond St. will be rented while 
•^*- the family go to the seashore. 



HOUSE LOTS. 



T HAVE house lots for sale on Ames, Beach, 
-*■ Cedar, Cottage, Gunhouse, Highland, Maple, 
Moosehill, North Main, Norwood, Pleasant, Pond, 
South Main, Walpole and VVoodland Streets. 
These lands vary in price from $75 an acre to $.08 
or $.10 a foot. 



O 



N Walpole St., I^ have some fine house lots for 
sale at low price but the land is not cleared. 



"VTEAR Massapoag I have 37 hou(«e lots of about 
-'-^ 20,000 feet each, for sale. These are on the 
line of the water pipes and all the lots can be sup- 
plied with Sharon water at slight expense. 



T HAVE another tract of 50 or more house lots 
-"- near Masisapoag. These have pine and other 
forest trees on them. 



T HAVE for sale some fine tracts of land to cut up. 
-■- One near the station is one of the best bargains 
ever offered in Sharon. 



pONTRACTORS and builders might do well to 
^^ buy some of these lots and biiild houses on 
them to sell or let, as rents are high here and the 
demand for houses always exceeds the supply. 



89 



/"^N Pleasant St. are some fine vacant lots. They 
^-^ are high, dry, perfectly drained and command 
a splendid view. 



■p C. BOYDEN", corner of Joy and Mrytle Sts., 
-*-^* Boston, has some fine house lots on the highest 
part of the village. They vi^ill only be sold to those 
vi^ho will build first-class houses. Inquire of him 
or come and see me and I will show them to you. 

W. B. WiCKES. 



TO LET. 



A GENTLEMAN'S farm with all kinds of large 
-^^ and small fruits and berries will be let for a 
term of years to a first-class family. The house has 
Sharon water and all improvements. There are 
verandas and shade trees. It is only just out of the 
village. The stock and tools will go with the 
place. 



A 40-acre farm without the stock and tools will 
•*-*- be rented for a term of years. This is a pretty 
and nicely located place with shade and fruit trees 
and pine groves. 



TN the village and handy to everything is a g-room 
-*- house, garden and stable. The house has bath 
and furnace and open wood fire. Will be rented 
for one or more j'ears, or sold on easy terms. Apply 
to the owner, A. M. Shuktleff, 13 Tremont tit., 
Boston, or W. B. Wickes, Sharon. 

ri'^HE Baptist parsonage will be rented while the 
-*- society are without a resident pastor. It is a 
pretty place and has piazza and furnace, no bath. 
Inquire of Rev. Mr. Merriam, Tremont Temple 
Building, Boston, or W. i5. Wickes, Sharon. 

A N 8-room cottage with plenty of land will be 
■^^ rented for $12 a month. It has Sharon water. 



40 



rpHE Turner Btore, where the late Calvin Turner 
-*- acquired a competency, will be let for a terra of 
j'eari^, A tenement and stable with it if de.sired. 
inquire of L. Aspinwall, 5 Vinton St., Providence, 
R. I., or W. B. WiCKES, Sharon. 



A N up-.<tairs tenement, 4 rooms and town water, 
•^^ s?5 a month. 



rp WO tenements of 4 rooms each, will be let to 
-^ quiet families.without children. 

/^NE .',f the prettiest situated farms in the county 
^^ will be rented for a term of years. There is a 
large old fashioned house, 14 rooms and a bath, two 
barns and 80 acres of good land. There is boating, 
fishing and shooting on the plate. This is just the 
place for a family with young people who want to 
enjoy life at a moderau- expense. 

/~\N the highest laud in the village, one of the 
^-^ nicest houses in town, has a bath, furnace, gas, 
electric bells, set tubs, etc. There are wide veran- 
das and ample grounds. This fine estate will be 
rented for one or more years. Applj' to the owner, 
E. C. BoYDEN, cor. Joy and Myitle Sts., Boston, or 
to W. B. \V:cKES, Sharon. 



LARGE FARMS, 



TIST Sharon and near by towns I have several farms 
-*- of from 100 to 300 acres that can be had at bar- 
gains. Some of them have been in the same fami- 
lies for five or six generations. Come and see what 
bargains 1 can give you. 

TTERE is a 300. acre farm on which the present 
■*"*- owner has worked over 80 years. He has no 
boy and would like to sell. It commands a fine 
view but is lonesome. 



• 41 



(\^ very high land is a 200-acre farm, 3 houses and 
^-' 2 barns. Lots of fruit of all kinds. This also 
is a fine place for a gentleman or a stock raiser. 



ON Moose Hill, 450 feet above the sea and over- 
looking Boston, is a fine stock form of 150 acres 
or more, two houses, tv^'-o barns and sheds. The 
air, water, scenery, and drainage are perfect; wild 
berries grow in the pastures. This is an ideal place 
for a rich man and will be sold so low that a work- 
ing farmer can afford to own it. 



A CHILDLESS widow wishes to sell the old 
■^^ homestead which her ancestoi's cleared up "In 
good old colony times, when we lived under a king." 
There are 200 acres of land, plenty of wood and 
water, some lake frontage. This farm has some 
6,000 feet of frontage on a highway and will be sold 
cheap. Apply to W. B. Wickbs. 



TN towns near Sharon I have one or two very 
-•- large farms which I can sell so low that the pur- 
chaser is sure of a handsome protit if he wants to 
sell in a few years. 



FARMS. 



A 40-acre farm, buildings nearly new, only 1 14 
-^^ miles from station, good neighborhood. A fine 
trout brook on this farm. Price, f 3,000; only $1,000 
down. 



■^EAR schools and in a fine neighborhood I have 
-*-'' for sale a 3tt-acre farm, good cottage house, 
barn, all kinds of fruit, a nice fine grove, plentj' of 
wood and fine shade trees. This is a very attrac- 
tive place, only 12 minutes' walk from a station. 
Price, $3,700. 



42 



A 60-acre farm. House is large and nice, big 
■^^ barn, groves, hills and hollows, brooks, and all 
kinds of romantic things. Price, $7,500. 



AN 80-acre farm on a main road but lonesome » 
cuts a lot of hay, and there is plenty of wood» 
but the buildings and fences are very poor. To 
settle an estate I will sell this place for a little less 
than $2,000; $1,000, or less, down. 



POULTRY FARMS. 



T HAVE some bargains in poultry farms, among 
-^ them. 

A 22acre farm with all the stock and tools for 
$2,300. -> 

A 30-acre farm with 500 cords of pine wood on it 
and good buildings for $2,600. 

Several others at various prices. 



npKOUT FARMS.— There are yet a few farms in 
-*- the market here with trout brooks running 
through them. It has been demonstrated that trout 
culture can be made very profitable, as the fish can 
be raised pound for pound as cheap as poultry and 
the fish sell two or three times as high as the 
chickens. 



VEGETABLE FARMS.— I have several small 
and one or two large farms especially adapted 
to raising garden truck. This to one who undei*- 
stands it is very profitable business. 



T HAVE a poultry farm to sell that the hen houses 
■*- now there cost $6,000, and I will sell the whole 
thing for $i,000 and if you won't give that, will take 
$3,500; only $1,000 down. Whew ! what a bargain. 



43 



IN Walpole I have for sale a large old fashioned 
house with barn and shade trees. There is 70,000 
feet of land. This is on the line of the water pipes 
and electric lights and only one-half mile from 
steam cars and the new line of electrics. This is 
one of those old estates that has been in one family 
many years. 

TN Canton I have for sale an old homestead *hat 
-*- has been in one family a great many years. 
There is a large house, barn, shop and 19 acres of 
land. It is on a main road but is two miles from 
station. 



/^N Bay St. is a nearly new house with a few acres 
^^ of cleared land and wood, the Avhole making a 
very pretty farm. There is a barn and hen house. 
This place belongs to Mr. Dea. E. P. Clapp, of 
Stoiighton, who took it for debt and he is anxious 
to sell it. Inquire of him or W. B. "Wickes, Shar- 
on. 



ON Sharon Plain is a nice little farm that has lots 
of fruit, tine shade trees and pine woods. A 
real home looking place. It is less than a mile from 
a station where they have twelve trains each way 
every day. 



rnHERE are several large tracts of woodland in 
-'- my hands for sale, some of them would be good 
investments. One of them is valuable to cut up. 



rpHERE is a tract of heavy wood belonging to a 
-*- missionary society that they want to sell. This 
is a good opening for a working man to cut it off 
and market it. 



Remember this is by no means a list of the places 
I have to sell and let. There are new places offered 
every week. Come and see if I have not got what 
you want. 



44 



WHAT DO YOO WANT? 

Do you want a farm to get a living on? 

Do you want a farm for a plaything? 

Do you want a cranberry meadow ? 

Do you want a poultry yard? 

Do you want a wood lot? 

Do you want a lot of vacant land? 

Do you want to hire money? 

Do you want a house for a home ? 

Do you want a house to let, as an invest- 
ment? 

Do you want to hire a house? 

Do you want to sell a house or let one? 

Do you want to sell a farm or some land? 

Do you want a boarding place ? 

Do you want to take boarders ? 

Do you want to sell any kind of business? 

Do you want to go into any kind of busi- 
ness or invest any money ? 

In short, do 5-ou wish to buy, sell or hire 
anything in Sharon or vicinity, or 
want, to get a home in Sharon? 

Apply to W. B. WICKES, Sharon. 

Telephone Connection. 

WHAT EO YOD WAIT? 



45 



MiLLSIDE 



g[ ERRACE 




Land on this beautiful site 
is now for the first time 
offered for sale ; it is only 
five minutes walk from sta- 
tion, is very elevated, com- 
mands a fine view, has pure 
air and perfect drainage. 

The lots are large, giving 
ample room for flower and 
vegetable gardens. There 
are pine trees on the land 

.i^5» ^^^^ P^^^ groves near. 

*W* These lots are the best 
that are offered in Sharon, 
~ and will be sold on easy 
terms to desirable parties, 
and money advanced to 
build with if desired. 

For plans and otbei infoimation, apply to 



46 

POND STREET 

Livery Stable 



Double and Single Carriages with or 
without drivers furnished at short notice. 
Also 
HACKS, 

BARGES, 

WAGONETTES, 

HAY RACKS and 

PARTY WAGONS. 

The best of care taken of boarding 
horses. Winter board for horses. 

Depot carriages at trains. 

Carriages for large parties or to the 
midnight trains may be ordered by mail, 
telegraph or telephone. 

My stable is near the residence of W. 
B. Wickes, and carriages may be ordered 
by telephone to him. 

A. W. Andrews, 

SHARON, MASS. 



47 



£ P. GLAPP, 

STOUGHTON, HASS. 

Yard off School Street on the Railroad. 



"Mfirti-fitc. all kinds and patterns at 
ITlctilLCldf the Lowest Prices. 

Every kind and variety of LUiVltS tiK.* 

Frames Sawed to order. 

Mouldings. 

Brick and Lime. 



' • ♦ » 



Specialty in Cedar Shin= 
gles, 

From the very best mills and 
manufacturers. 

Orders promptly filled and delivered 

anywhere in Canton or Sharon 

by my own teams. 

Connected by Telephone. k 



48 

ttOLBROOK'S 

Qasl7 - Store. 

'& •&• & 



The Best Place in New- 
England to save money 
on 

CLOTHING, 
DKY GOODS. 

BOOTS. SHoes 

—AND— 

HftBeKDftSHeKY. 

The Secret: 
Close nargins for SPOT CASH. 



Morse Building, - - Sharon. 



49 

(Established in 1861.) 

WITHINQTON & LOWE, 

Largest and most complete 




I 



This side of Bostou. 

City Styles, City Prices ! Those interested in 
Furnishing Hotels or Cottages for the Sum- 
mer season will find it to their advantage to 
call on us and get our prices before purchas- 
ing elsewhere. All binds of Repairing and 
L^pholstery Work done. All orders attended 
to promptly. Goods called for and delivered 
free of charge. 

Leave orders at Branch Store, Morse Build- 
ing, opp, L'own Hall. 

We also carry a full line of 

Crockery, Glass Ware, Lamps, 

and everything in the 
House Furnishing Line. 

ALSO AS 



— AND — 

Are prepared to furnish everything needed 
for the burial of the dead. Most careful 
attencion given each case. 

SHARON BRANCH STORE 

Telephone Connections. 



50 



COAL AND WOOD. 



COfiL of all Sizes. 

Hard and Soft 



Wood cut and split to any size 
desired. Fireplace wood a spe- 
cialty. All orders filled promptly. 

J. O'LEARY, 

Box 10, . . . Sharon, Mass. 

hFrichard hixson 

C. A. Hixson, - Proprietor. 

No. Main Street, Sharon, Mass. 




This farm mikes a specialty of supply- 
ing its patrons with the best of Pure Milk 
from their herd of pure-bred Holstein- 
Friesian Cows which are carefully kept 
and well fed and guaranteed to be in per- 
fect health. 

Orders left at the above address will re- 
ceive careful attention. 



51 



Tie stiafon m 



W. B. WICKES, Editor 
A faithful chronicle of the daily life of 

Read it when you visit Sharon. 
Have it sent to you when away. 

5c a copy. $2 per Year. 

Summer board 

— AT — 

^ (SlRESENT RIDGE FARM. 

Unexcelled as a place of rest and 
recuperation. High ground, pure 
air, excellent water, shade and 
pleasant drives. A pleasant place 
for parties wishing to come early 
or remain late in the season. Ad- 
dress 

East Sharon, Mass. 
P.O. Address Canton, Mass. 



52 



nirs. mary L. Broofcs, 

South Main St., cor. Station St., 
5HAR0N. 



Home-Wlade Bread, 

Sponge Cake, 

Fresh Baked Every Day. 



Ordeis taken for all kinds of food 
including 

Angel Cake, 

Fruit Cake, 

Gingerbread, 
Doughnuts, 

Charlotte Russe, 
Pies, &c. 

^^ Send for Price List. 



Massapoag 
H0U5E = LOTS ! 



(q) ^untxrvel- ahc^ DuK^aV Estate 

has been plotted into house lots, 
and Is now for the first time of- 
fered to the public. 

The lots are on and near Pond 
Street, and within three minutes"' 
walk of Lake Massapoag, whioh 
they overlook. 

Sharon water pipes affording 
an abundant supply of pure water 
ter are laid in the street. 

Liberal Terms. 

made with those who desire to 
build, on application to 

W. B, WICKES, 

Sharon. 
L. W. SUMNER, 

21 Oliver St., Boston. 
J. C. GERALD. 



■- I 



PETTEE & COEBURN, 

Successors to D. W. PETTEE. 



New Firm ! New Store ! 

New Goods ! Low Prices ! 



Provisions and Fruit, 

Fresh Fish in variety, 

Groceries and Hardware, 
Dry Goods, Boots, Shoes 
and Rubbers. 

Mrs. Brooks' 
Home-Made Bread. 

Building Materials, Tin Ware, 

Wooden Ware, Patent Medicin es, 

and the usual variety of a Gener- 
al Store. Special Prices for 
Goods in quantity. Agents for 

COLUMBIAN HARTFORD 



55 



^AS. K. CHRISTOPHER, 

Dealer in 

^Stovc^, ^at^gc3, Fu^-hvacc^, &W(\ Kit- 
ckchv Tvl-Ki^l^lKg (Joocj^. 

Plumbing in all its branches. 

Roofing, Tin and other Sheet Met- 
al Work. 

Jobbing promptly attended to. 

All work warranted. 

Nichols Building, South Main Street, Sharon, 

Mass. 



LONG DISTANCE 
— and— 
LOCAL TELEPHONE. 

For the public benefit I have estab- 
Hshed a telephone with a sound proof 
booth at my residence, from which 
communication can be had at all times 
with any telephone in the country. 

Vr. B. TVICKES,. 

Pond St., Sharon. 



Ob 



Wi ^mm lai^B Hotel 

SHARON, MASS. 
A. Park Boycc & Co., Pk'o|3rictok.s. 



Open froin Hlay to Oct. 

Telephone connection. 



The hotel grounds comprise pine, 
hemlock and chestnut groves, and open 
lands of nearly loo acres, stretching along 
the borders of one of the largest (four 
miles in circumference) and finest lakes in 
Massachusetts. 

The hotel has electric bells, telephone, 
gas, steam heat, a good laundry and new 
iron fire escapes. Spring water of un- 
surpassed purity. We raise our own veg- 
etables. Fresh milk received twice a day 
from an adjacent dairy. Good Boarding 
and Livery Stables. Fine roads for driv- 
ing. Lawn Tennis Courts,, Croquet, Bil- 
liards, Pool, Boating, Bathing, Bowling, 
Hunting and Fishing. 



57 



Chestnut St., Sharon. 



Fine Groceries, 

Meats, Vegetables, 

Poultry, 
Foreign and Domestic Fruits 
in their season. 
Garden Tools, 

Seeds and Fertilizers, 

Hay and Grain. 







And every article usually kept in 
a first-class country store. 

Permanent residents, cottag- 
ers and summer residents sup- 
plied with goods equal in quality 
to any kept in the city. 

(A member of the firm will call for orders, 
and goods will be delivered promptly.) 



ub 



Oak Grove Creamery Co, 

445 Boylston Street. 

Qt8 CREAMS. Qtp. 

*ValQilla 50 *Pineapplo, 50 

♦Strawberry, 50 *Leraon, 50 

♦Chocolate, 50 *Cofiee, 50 

Pistachio, 50 *Biirnt Almond, 50 

Banana, 50 *Peach, 50 

♦Macaroon, 75 *Brown Bread, 75 

Sweet Potato, 75 Cocoanut, 75 

Vienna, 75 Victoria, 75 

Toin-Tora, 75 Cardinal Punch, 75 

Orange Bora, 75 Maroon Glace, 75 

Sponge Pudding, 75 Maraschino, 75 

HazeTNut, ^ 75 Caramel, 75 

Congress Pudding 75 Neapolitan Almond 75 

Orange Frappe, per gallon, - $2 00 

Lemon Frappe «' " -2 00 

Coffee Frappe, " " - 2 00 

Neapolitan Macaroni, per quart, 75 

SHERBETS. 

♦Orange 50 *Pineapple 50 ♦Currant 50 
♦Lemon 50 ♦Raspberry 50 ♦Cherry 75 
♦Cardinal 50 *Banana 50 

Fancy Creams and Moulds to order. 

Doz. Qts. 

Biscuit Glace • $2 50 $1 00 

Filled Oranges, ..... 2 50 

Filled Lemons, 2 50 

Kennel 11-2 qts, 3 00 

Melon Slice 11-2 qts, 2 00 

All kinds Fancy Fruit Ices. 

Special rates to parties buying in large quantities. 

Ice Creams and Ices marked ♦ delivered at once; 
all others require half a day's notice. Ice Cream 
delivered in all parts of Boston and suburbs every 
day in the week. All orders by mail, telephone or 
messenger will receive prompt attention. 

P. O. Address, Oak Grove Creamery Co., 445 
Boylston St., Boston. Orders can be left at 445 
Boylston St., or at our Cam 'ridge branches, 434 Har- 
vard St. and 496 Main St., Cambridge. 



59 

C. G. COCfGINS, 

Carpepb^r ar)<l Btiilder. 

jo:b]bi::vo 

promptly attended to. 

Any information about Plans and Estimates cheer 
fully given. 

P. O. Box 22Zf, 5Ka^'o^, Ma^.s. 

Referencet' :— W. B. Wickes, G. B. Fowler, D. W. 

Pettee, of Sharon, and E. D. Barbonr, 

Sears Building, Boston. 

^ -■- - . -. I . 

S ILAS A. STONE , 

DEALER IN 

HORSES, 

CARRIAGES 

and HARNESSES. 



HAY for sale by the car load or ton. 
Agent for Bowkck-'.s rcKllizck-.s. 

Billings Street, Sharon, Mass. 




^60 
SHARON, MASS. 

Elevated site, new house, 
nice and fresh furnishings, 
spacious rooms, furnace, 
and open iires. Limited 
number of guests. 

i^lis^ Ellei) J. Horace? 

Proprietor and Manager. 

YYmsHiF House, 

This House has been en- 
larged for the season of 
1896, the rooms are large 
and airy, it has bath and 
furnace and the famous 
Sharon Spring water. 
There is plenty of shade and is near 
Postoffice, Library and Churches. The 
house is fitted for winter board and will be 
open summer and winter. Address, 

WINSHIP HOUSE, Sharon, flass. 




|^ot^l 3*?3ro9. 



This House is under new manage- 
ment and will be open for perma- 



nent and transient guests 



It is pleasantly situated, only four 
minutes^ walk from the station 
and near the Churches, Postof- 
fice, Public Library, Town Hall, 
Telephone and Telegraph of- 
fices. The house sets high, has 
broad piazzas, and the sanitary 
arrangements are perfect. The 
table and attendance are first- 
class in every respect. There are 
several acres of grounds compris- 
ing Lawns, Groves, Arbors, Pine 
Wood, and Fruit. Flower and 
Vegetable Gardens. 

Good accommodations for Horses. 



E. H. FENNO, Proprietor. 



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ISC- 






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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





014 110 724 



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